​CGCSA-Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) Registered To Coordinate Efforts By Members To Reduce The Impact Of Waste On The Environment 

Johannesburg, 12 December 2023 - GS1 South Africa t/a Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has been registered as a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) which will enable it to coordinate efforts by its manufacturing and retailer members to reduce the impact of waste on the environment and also comply with applicable Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation.

The PRO will operate and be managed under the EPR regulation which is being implemented in terms of Section 18 of the National Environmental Management Waste Act 59 of 2008, to reduce the environmental impact of waste materials. The CGCSA PRO is registered to collect and manage waste in the three categories: paper and packaging, lighting, and electronic equipment based on what is put onto the market by producers signed up with the PRO. 

Through the PRO, CGCSA will also be able to play a socially responsible role by involving local communities to promote waste reduction and recycling, with the aim of promoting the growth of the circular economy and create jobs in the informal sector, with a particular focus on the youth and women.

Matlou Setati, Executive: Food Safety and Sustainability Initiative at the CGCSA, says the registration of the PRO is an important milestone in efforts by the CGCSA to promote sustainable waste management practices by its members.

“As a PRO, we will collaborate with other stakeholders, to share best practices and influence waste management regulations. This will position us as leaders to foster innovation in waste management practices therefore enhancing our brand image in the industry. Importantly, the reduction of the impact of waste on the environment aligns with our commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 12) which encourages more sustainable production and consumption and management of waste and materials that are toxic to the environment,” Setati says.

By way of example, Setati says in 2021, South Africa generated approximately 316,810 metric tonnes of e-waste. This included discarded electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, televisions, and other electronic appliances. However, South Africa has a relatively low e-waste recycling rate; for example, in 2021, it was estimated that only around 10% of electronic waste was recycled, while the rest ended up in landfill sites or informal recycling practices.

In the paper packing sector, the country recycled 1.15-million tonnes of paper and paper packaging, representing a paper recovery rate of 61.4%; while out of the one million tonnes of glass produced every year, an estimated of about 330 000 tonnes of non-returnable bottles and jars is recycled.

“Through the PRO we expect to see momentum in efforts to recycle e-waste, paper and packing and contribute significantly to national efforts to avoid waste being dumped in landfills which is environmentally unsustainable and is also a significant contributor to greenhouse emissions which are damaging our planet,” Setati says.

​FOR ACTION

Companies interested in joining the CGCSA PRO are invited to register on our database for further engagement. Click Here to indicate your interest. 

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